In-wall identification label mounting for catalogue card trays and the like



Sept. 8, 1970 U ET AL 3,527,515

IN-WALL IDENTIFICATION LABEL MOUNTING FOR CATALOGUE CARD TRAYS AND THE LIKE 7 Filed March 4, 1969 5 Sheets-Sheet l BYK 25 4 Z: 2 ATTORNEYS 3,527,515 OGUE Sept 8, 1970 GRAU ET AL Y IN-WALL IDENTIFICATION LABEL MOUNTING FOR CATAL CARD TRAYS AND THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 4, 1969 III- 2 I INVENTORS A dKkA/A/f JENS'A/ 624a A TTORN E YS Sept. 8, 1970 J. GRAU ET 3,527,515

IN-WALL IDENTIFICATION LABEL MOUNTING FOR CATALOGUE CARD TRAYS AND THE LIKE Filed March 4, 1969 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS -7 H ZDKKA/A/f Jaws! 6x40 M474 .3 (bum s BY WTTORNEYS United States Patent 3,527,515 IN-WALL IDENTIFICATION LABEL MOUNT- ING FOR CATALOGUE CARD TRAYS AN THE LIKE Lorraine Jensen Grau, 5819 N. Sacramento Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60645, and Neil S. Collins, 9028 N. Cumberland, Niles, II]. 60648 Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 662,656, Aug. 23, 1967. This application Mar. 4, 1969, Ser. No.

Int. Cl. A47f 63/00; A47b 88/00 U.S. Cl. 312--234.1

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE 14 Claims This application is a continuation-in-part of our application Ser. No. 662,656, filed Aug. 23, 1967 now abandoned.

This invention relates to new and improved in-wall identification label mounting for catalogue card trays and the like and is more particularly adapted for mounting of the labels in the front wall of such trays.

Usually card catalogue drawers or trays have had label display means in the form of a frame attached to the front wall of the tray and frequently also having on the lower edge an integral pull loop. The frame has had an upwardly opening insert gap between it and the face of the tray wall through which an identification label card has been in sertable and removable. This sort of label holder has been used on wooden and metal drawers. Thus the label can be removed by simply sliding up and out. If the tray is upset, the label may fall out. This easy displacement of the labels from the holders has been an often serious objection, especially in libraries where patrons may accidentally or mischievously displace or remove the identification labels on card catalogue drawers.

According to the principles of the present invention the foregoing and other disadvantages and deficiencies of prior identification label mounts for catalogue drawers and the like are overcome by providing in an exposed upright wall a cavity opening through an edge of the wall and with a sighting aperture or window in the wall aligned with and opening from the cavity in a face of the wall, with back-up means in the cavity acting to retain a replaceable label in the cavity positioned for ready inspection through the aperture and against unintentional displacement.

An important object of the present invention is to provide new and improved identification label mounting means for catalogue trays and the like which have an upright wall of which one face is normally exposed to view and which wall is of a substantial thickness and at least one edge of which is of substantial length and width and in which wall is provided a label mounting cavity having a window through a face of the wall through which a label may be readily inspected.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved identification label mounting means especially suitable for car catalogue trays and the like having a front wall made of self-sustaining rigid plastic material.

A further object of the invention is to provide new and improved identification label mounting means having retaining structure to substantially prevent unintentional displacement of a label.

Still another object of the invention is to provide new and improved means for retaining identification labels in place on a card catalogue tray and the like.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of certain preferred embodiments thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a card catalogue tray embodying features of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional detail view taken substantially on the line 11-11 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a rear sectional elevational view taken substantially in the plane of line Ill-III on FIG. 2 and show ing details of the pull block and card retaining rod head assembly of the tray;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on the line IVIV of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a fragmcntal longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line V-V of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a sectional detail view taken substantially along the line VI-VI of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional elevational view taken substantially on the line VIIVIl of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a fragmental top plan view of the card catalogue tray of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line IXIX of FIG. 6;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of a pry-out tool;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary plan view of a tray having a modified arrangement of the identification label mounting means;

FIG. 12 is a front elevational view of the tray of FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line XIII-XIII of FIG. 1 1;

FIG. 14 is an isometric view of the label retainer employed in the arrangement of FIG. 10; and

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional detail view taken substantially along the line XVXV of FIG. 12.

By way of illustration, the invention is disclosed as applied to a card catalogue tray 15 (FIGS. 1, S and 8) of the type used in library card catalogue files wherein the trays are in the general form of drawers fitting into a cabinet. More particularly, the tray depicted is provided with one-piece molded plastic shell body dimensioned generally in accordance with long-established standards related to wooden and metal card catalogue trays so as to be interchangeable therewith in the card catalogue cabinets.

Within the tray 15 an elongated upwardly opening cardreeeiving recess is provided by a bottom wall 17, opposite longitudinal upwardly extending side walls 18, a rear wall 19, and a front wall 20. For retaining cards in an upstanding pack on edge on the bottom wall 17, an elongated metal track member 21 is seated in a central longitudinal groove 22 in the bottom wall and supports a back-up panel or block plate 23 for longitudinal adjustment therealong and along a card-retaining rod 24 which extends through the block plate in well known manner and has at its front end a manipuating head 25 releasably engageable with a keeper bar 27 at the lower edge of an opening in the lower portion of a pull block 28 engaged in a recess 29 in the front wall 20 which is of substantial thickness and hollow to accommodate the pull block and the manipulating head 25 in a flush relation with the outer face of the front wall (FIGS. 1, 2 and 5). Manipulation of the drawer is facilitated by a finger pull ring or loop 30 projecting forwardly from the pull block 28. At its inner side, the pull block 28 is configurated to support a generally horseshoe-shaped spring member 31 (FIGS. 3 and 5) 3 which normally presses down on the head to retain it releasably in place. To lock the pull block 28 in place a forward end terminal flange 32 on the track member 21 engages under the bar 27 (FIGS. 5 and 7), and the track is retained against displacement by a releasable latch 33 (FIGS. 5 and- 8).

The invention herein is directed primarily to the provision of new and improved identification label mounting means for the catalogue or index card tray. To this end, the upright front wall 20, which is of substantial thickness and has at least one edge, herein a top edge 34, of substantial length and width, is provided with a cavity 35 (FIGS. 4, 5 and 6) which opens upwardly throughout its length through the edge 34 by way of an entry slot 37 through which label means to be mounted on the front wall are adapted to be inserted into the cavity. For viewing a label within the cavity 35 one or more and in this instance a pair of sighting window apertures 38 and 39 is provided in the front face of the wall 20 aligned with and opening into the cavity, and diveded by a front to rear partition 40 which desirably extends across the cavity and provides a reinforcement for the hollow wall and the front face window frame portion of the wall. Two label-receiving pocket areas in the cavity are desirable for library catalogue card trays wherein one such pocket area may receive a label identifying a general classification, while the other pocket area may receive a label identifying a range of topics or headings or names within the general classification, etc. For this purpose, one of the window apertures is preferably smaller than the other, herein the aperture 38 being smaller than the aperture 39, in a horizontal direction, but both of the apertures being of identical vertical dimension throughout.

Within the cavity 35, means are provided to retain one or more releasable labels for ready inspection through the aperture or apertures, 38 and 39, as the case may be, and against unintentional displacement of the labels. For this purpose, a transparent protective window panel 41 is dimensioned to be received across the inside of the apertures 38 and 39 within the cavity 35. In a desirable structure, the panel 41 is of as thin as practicable clear plastic material to extend across both of the apertures 38 and 39 and provided with a vertical slot 42 to straddle the partition 40 which is of a height equal to the upper boundary of the apertures and extends across the slot 37 below an inwardly facing shoulder 43 which extends along the entire length of the cavity 35. Along its lower edge the window panel 41 rests on a horizontal ledge 44, in this instance coplanar with the lower boundary of the window apertures and provided adjacent to each of the side boundaries of the cavity with retainer holes or sockets 45 (FIGS. 4, 6 and 9) in which downwardly extending integral locating tabs 47 on the lower edge adjacent to the respective opposite ends of the panel 47 are engageable, while another similar integral depending tab 48 adjacent the slot 42 on the longer section of the panel engages within a similar socket aperture 49 in the ledge 44 adjacent to the partition 40. Through this arrangement the window panel 41 provides a protective front face window support for respective paper identification labels 50 (FIG. 4) which rest upon the ledge 44 in laminar relation to the panel 41 and with their upper edges no higher than the upper edge of the window panel.

To retain the labels 50 and the window panel 41 against unintentional displacement from the cavity, and more particularly upwardly therefrom through the slot 37, lock-in retainer insert means are provided which will enable access when necessary into either of the sections of the cavity 35 and preferably into each section independently. For this purpose, a label retaining insert member 51 is provided for engagement behind the window aperture 38 (FIGS. 1 and 8) and a similar complemen tary label retainer insert 52 (FIGS. 1, 4, 5 and 8) is provided for engagement behind the label in the section of the cavity behind the Window aperture 39. Each of the insert members 51 and 52 comprises a vertical plate or panel substantially coextensive with the portion of the window panel 41 which it backs up and of a thickness to fit freely within a space between a plane along the shoulder 43 and a plane across front edges of vertical spaced parallel front to rear reinforcing flanges 53 in the rear portion of the cavity, the lower ends of which are aligned with a forwardly facing surface 54 extending upwardly a limited distance from the ledge 44 in alignment with rear surfaces of the socket openings 45 and 49. In the fully inserted positions of the retaining inserts 51 and 52, respective complementary depending integral lugs 55 thereon extend downwardly in the sockets 45 and 49 in back-up relation to respectively the depending flange lug extensions 47 and 48 of the window panel 41, respective rearward cam nodes 57 on the lugs 55 engage the downward extensions of the surface 54 within the sockets 45 to maintain the insert panel backed up reasonably firmly against the label 50. In the fully assembled relation, the upper portions of the inserts 51 and 52 are reasonably firmly frictionally held by engagement of respective head flanges 58 and 59 thereof with surfaces defining the slot 37. For this purpose the head flanges 58 and 59 project laterally, with a forwardly projecting portion overlying the upper edges of the window panel 41 and the labels 50 protectively and retainingly and engaging within a rabbet 60 adjacent to the shoulder 43. A rearward portion of the flange has a downwardly and forwardly slanted cam surface 61 which engages wedgingly with a complementary cam surface 62 along the back of the slot 37. Thus, by pressing the inserts 51 and 52 downwardly into fully assembled position, a frictional locking engagement is effected between the head flanges 58 and 59 and the confronting front and rear surfaces of the front wall within the slot 37.

In order to facilitate intentional displacement of the inserts 51 and 52 for access into the cavity 53 to insert or replace the respective identification labels, each of the inserts 51 and 52 has a respective upper outer corner pry-out flange lug 63 which is received within a complementary clearance recess 64 in the upper wall edge 34 in such a manner as to enable insertion of a pry-off tool under the respective flange 63 and the exertion of pryout leverage thereagainst to pry the insert upwardly out of the cavity. A desirable pry-out tool 65 (-FIGS. 6 and 10) has an elongated lever body provided at one end with a spaced coextensive pair of pry-out tangs 67 which are of a total width between their outer sides such as to be receptive in the clearance recesses '64, and with a notch 68 between the tangs of a width to receive the panel body of the respective insert 51, 52 therein.

In addition to its pry-out function, the tool 65 also serve as a card separator wherein the tangs 67 are adapted to be manipulated between the cards in working with them in the tray. Any division between the cards may be retained by the tool 65 by engaging the upper edge portion of either of the side walls 18 within a sidewardly opening notch 69 in the tool provided for this purpose. Thus, when the person working with the cards has effected a division or found a card in the pack, such as where replacements are being made or a card is to be altered, the tool 65 upon engagement on the side wall will serve as a separator to maintain the place in the separated pack enabling manipulation of the rod 24 into and out of the pack of cards to enable working on or replacement of the selected card.

In the modification of FIGS. 11-15, a card catalogue drawer 15 has a bottom 17, a pair of upright side walls 18', an upright back wall (not shown) and an upright front wall 20 defining a tray cavity for receiving cards and with card-remaining means therein including a track 21' in a central longitudinal upwardly opening groove 22 and supporting a backup plate block (not shown) in association with a longitudinally extending card-retaining rod 24' removably supported from the front wall through a head element 25 in association with a pull block 28' in a downward opening 29' and with a forwardly projecting drawer pull loop 30 on the pull block. The front wall 20 is of substantial thickness, projects substantially above the side walls 18', has a substantial thickness and at least one edge, herein the top edge 34' of substantial length and width, and is provided in its upper portion with identification label mounting means comprising a cavity arrangement providing a left-hand cavity 70 and a right-hand cav'ty 71 divided by front to rear partition 72 which is offset to the left of the longitudinal center to afford a desirable differential in the left to right dimensions of the cavities which, however, are of equal depth and front to rear dimension. For label mounting access into the cavities 70 and 71, they open through the top edge 34' which for this purpose is provided -with an elongated slot 73. Within each of the cavities 70 and 71 a respective identification label 74 is adapted to be received replaceably and may be in the form of a thin card. For ready inspection of the labels 74., a sighting window aperture 75 is provided in the front face of the front wall 20 aligned with and opening into the cavity 70, and a sighting window aperture 77 is provided in the front wall opening into and aligned with the cavity 71. For retaining the labels 74 against forward displacement from the respective cavities 70 and 71, a shoulder flange 78 is provided about each of the window openings 75 and 77 and provides an inwardly facing shoulder against which the identification label is received with its lower edge on the bottom defining the respective cavity, and with its upper edge underlying an overhanging retention shoulder 79 at the slot 73 and spaced a short distance above the top edges of the window apertures 75 and 77. Desirably the shoulder 79 extends around the tops of the cavities 70 and 71 as a narrow inwardly extending cantilever flange spaced a limited distance below the upper edge 34 to receive substantially flush with the upper edge a head flange 80 of a label back-up and lock-in member 81 which fits downwardly within each of the cavities 70 and 71 and bears against the backs of the labels. In this instance, the back-up member is constructed in one piece with the flange 80 connecting integrally respective sections of the member to be received in the cavities 70 and 71 and separated by a slot 82 for straddling the partition 72. For frictionally retaining the back-up member lockingly in the cavities against unintentional displacement, it is desirably constructed of a substantially wedge-shaped body form tapering from a maximum thickness at the head flange 80 to a minimum thickness or tip at its lower edge, providing a front vertical face 83 for engaging in flat faceto-face retaining engagement with the backs of the labels 74 and with a downwardly and forwardly oblique rear face 84. The construction and relationship of the member 81 and the confronting surfaces defining the cavities is such that as the member 81 is pressed downwardly within the cavities, it engages frictionally retainingly with the confronting surfaces. For this purpose the cavities may be of generally complementary shape, having a rear surface 85 which slopes downwardly and forwardly from under the shoulder flange 79 on a slightly differential pitch relative to the confronting back face 84 to converge With such back face in the fully assembled relation of the member 81 such that there is a frictional engagement with the lower margin of the member 81 serving not only to press the lower margin against the lower margin of the associated label 74, but also effecting a releasable frictional locking grip. In addition, the confronting surface relationships of the wider upper portion of the member 81 and the inner surfaces of the shoulder flange 79 are such as to provide a reasonable releasable frictional locking grip of the upper or head portion of the member 8.1 under the flange 80. To remove the member 81, a pry-off tool may be inserted between the respective opposite end portions of the flanges and the underlying wall structure into respective clearances 87 provided for this purpose.

It will be understood that variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of this invention.

We claim as our invention:

1. A drawer for an index card catalogue having a bottom wall, a pair of side walls, a back wall and a front wall to define a cavity for receiving cards, a card back-up means disposed in said cavity and said front wall having a drawer pull and a label display means, the improvement comprising:

said label display means including a cavity extending inward from an edge of said front wall and an aperture in said front wall in communication with said cavity so that a label disposed in said cavity is visible in said aperture;

shoulgler means in said cavity adjacent said aperture;

a label back-up member received in said cavity to hold said label against said shoulder means and to prevent the unauthorized or accidential displacement of said label from said cavity. 2. A drawer according to claim 1, said cavity having a partition to divide the cavity into separate label receiving portions, each of said portions having a corresponding aperture for displaying the label positioned therein, said label back-up member having a slot complementary to said partition so that said member straddles said partition when inserted into said cavity.

3. A drawer according to claim 1, said cavity having a back wall sloping toward the front wall and intersecting said front wall at the bottom of said cavity, and said back-up member having a complementary sloping wall so that said back-up member when inserted into said cavity is eammed toward said aperture to firmly hold said label against said shoulder means.

4. Identification label mounting for a card catalogue tray and the like which includes an upright wall of which one face is normally exposed to view, said wall having a substantial thickness and at least one edge of substantial length and width:

a cavity in said wall opening through said edge; said face having a sighting window aperture therein aligned with and opening into said cavity; and

back-up means in said cavity acting to retain a replaceable label in said cavity positioned for ready inspection through said aperture and against unintentional displacement.

5. Identification label mounting according to claim 4, comprising a transverse partition separating said cavity into differential size label-receiving sections, and said back-up means comprising corresponding sections fitting in said cavity sections.

6. Identification label mounting according to claim 5, comprising frictional retaining means in said cavity sections holding said back-up sections against unintentional displacement from the cavity sections. 1

7. Identification label mounting according to claim 6, said back-up sections having head flange means thereon engageable by pry-out tool means.

8. Identification label mounting according to claim 4, said back-up means comprising a vertical back-up member engageable through the opening in said edge into said cavity, said cavity being defined by a bottom wall, said bottom wall having at least one lug-receiving aperture therein, said back-up member having a downwardly extending lug engaging in said receiving aperture.

9. Identification label mounting according to claim 8, comprising a transparent window panel to extend across said Window aperture and having an integral depending lug received in said receiving aperture, said lug on said back-up member having means thereon engageable with a surface defining said receiving aperture for frictionally locking said lugs together and in said receiving aperture.

10. Identification label mounting according to claim 4, said back-up means comprising a member received within said cavity through said edge opening into the cavity and having a head structure and confronting surface structure on said wall adjacent to said edge opening releasably frictionally lockingly engaging said head structure in the fully assembled relation of said member in said cavity.

11. Identification label mounting according to claim 10, said head structure including a lateral flange, said wall providing a clearance under said flange in the fully assembled relation of the member in the cavity and recep tive of a pry-off tool to dislodge the member from the cavity.

12. Identification label mounting according to claim 4, said back-up means comprising a member engageable through the opening in said edge into said cavity, said member and said Wall having within said cavity confronting frictional interengagement surfaces for releasably lockingly retaining the member in the cavity in the fully assembled relation of the member within the cavity, said member having a head flange projecting laterally on its head portion adjacent to said edge in the assembled relation, said wall having a pry-out recess underlying said flange and a pry-out tool having an elongated lever body with pry-out prong means at one end of the tool to be engageable in said recess under said flange and the tool being adapted to be fulcrumed on said wall at said recess to eifect pry-out force against said flange to dislodge said member from the cavity.

13. Identification label mounting according to claim 12, said prong means comprising a bifurcated structure providing a slot in said prong means adapted to receive the body of said member therebetween to engage under said flange for maximum pry-out efficiency.

14. Identification label mounting according to claim 12, said tool having along said body a laterally opening notch whereby the tool engageable upon a side wall of the tray to retain the tool in position where the tool is employed as a separator for cards in the tray.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,860,642 11/1958 Marks et a1. 3,115,881 12/1963 Stark 312-330 X 3,102,763 9/ 1963 Knoll et a1. 312234.1 3,218,112 11/1965 Stark 312-333 CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.'R. 

